When Christine Crowley talks about the Theatre, her soliloquy usually reveals three motivations: “We offer quality live theater to entertain, educate, and enrich the community.” This is the mission of the Boerne Community Theatre (BCT), where Crowley enjoys her current role as the Executive Director. She’s been part of the nonprofit since 2003, serving at various times in the cast, crew, and production office. And she says they deliver on that goal. “I'm very fond of saying we have something for everyone.”
As in Boerne, the people are the heartbeat of the BCT. Crowley is joined on the artistic side by 20-year BCT veteran Patricia Hausman, Director of the Youth Program, and Allen Rudolph, who’s been with the theater since 1994 and now serves as Artistic and Technical Director. And, of course, there are the many actors, production crew, and other volunteers who literally and figuratively light up the stage. Many of them have the talent, skills, and experience to pursue big city dreams. But their commitment to the community here makes great storytelling come alive in Boerne. They share a voice that echoes the fondness, respect, and love they have for each other and their wider public.
This year, BCT is celebrating 35 years of enthralling audiences. Hausman—affectionately known as “Mama”—confirms, “Our entire theater is very community-minded and community-oriented.” So much so, she says, that you may have come across BCT at events, like Dickens on Main and Das Festival, without realizing they have a home stage. There, on the corner of E. Blanco Rd. and S. Plant Ave., you’ll find BCT’s small-town charm on display in impactful ways.
“We do more than just produce live theater,” Crowley explains. They donate tickets to local organizations for fundraising efforts, visit nursing homes, participate in food drives, and perform or volunteer at events. She adds: “For several years, we have been working with local law enforcement, providing actors for training—active shooter training, hostage situations, domestic violence. Any situation where they want their officers to be able to interact with a potential real-life scenario.” It’s also a broadening experience that the actors can bring back to the stage.
Actor Robert Moritz has volunteered with BCT since he landed his first stage role in 2011. Since then, he’s performed in over 60 productions in the San Antonio area. Despite the draw of bigger venues, he says he always returns to BCT, whether it’s doing set design or acting on stage. He says there’s always a place because at its core, BCT is “people working together, making something happen.” He continues, “You’re rehearsing for a couple of months, you're on stage for three months, a quarter of a year, and you're totally dependent on all of those people.”
“You come together because you have this common goal,” Crowley says. “It really does expose you to a wider spectrum of people in your life, and working together. It's teamwork.” Rudolph adds, “We're kind of a family… That's a big deal.” Hausman says lessons in empathy and connection are strengths she fosters in the thriving youth program. “No one enters our door a stranger more than once. And once they enter the door, they are accepted, and they have found a safe place.” Moritz sees it from the stage, too. “I think that’s some of the value of theater, and that’s some of the value we even see in the shows.”
This month, the Teen Troupe is performing the popular farcical comedy Game of Tiaras. For the uninitiated, it’s a parody of fairy tales and fantasy stories, to which the title alludes. Or as Hausman describes it: King Lear but with princesses.
Rudolph is directing the upcoming March show, Angel Street. It’s a classic mystery thriller set in Victorian London, and, interestingly, the source of the term “gaslighting” (Gas Light is the play’s original title). “Our adult program is getting better and better,” Rudolph shares excitedly. “We're reaching out and trying to find really good material to do.” This season offers a mix of mysteries, comedies, a musical, and a show by a new playwright.
“If there's a car out front, come on in,” Crowley emphasizes. “I want people to feel welcome… I want to make sure that everyone who comes to the Boerne Community Theatre has a good experience, whether they are on stage, backstage, or in the audience.”
boernetheatre.org | 907 E. Blanco Rd. | 830-249-9166
“We offer quality live theater to entertain, educate, and enrich the community. And I'm very fond of saying we have something for everyone.” —Christine Crowley
“No one enters our door a stranger more than once. And once they enter the door, they are accepted, and they have found a safe place.” —Patricia Hausman